Last year was a good year for helping educate women and children in Cameroon, according to leading charity on the ground, GMM Africa, a group we at Catalyst Exhibits do our best to help.

However, there is no time resting on their laurels as GMM have a lot planned for the coming year, from adding more needy children to the vital education program, empowering women by supporting their small businesses and also increasing the amount of computers they use in their office and schools.

Reverend Teh Francis [far right in above photo] sent us this update, containing a brief summary of 2011 and some of the key targets for 2012.

Dear Volunteers, Online Volunteers, Sponsors, Donors, Friends and anyone connected to GMM Africa,

We must thank you again at Goodness and Mercy Missions before we continue with this new year. All your good services and wishes have enabled us to do wonderful things to relieve the plight of the disadvantaged in the past. We have noted that with gratitude and thought we should let you know that you shall always remain special to us. Your labor has not been in vain.

In 2011 many children have been sponsored, computer labs created in 8 secondary schools, 160 women got direct funding to start small businesses to help educate their children, and children continued to receive some computer training at the office.

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There may be no snow, nor Christmas trees, but there was plenty to celebrate in sunny Cameroon this festive season as GMM Africa, one of our favorite charities, celebrated the holiday. The celebrations took place with many of the children the charity helps take care of and educate, and the party was a great success.

Rev, Teh Francis wrote to us about the celebration and sent some photos.

“23rd December, 2011, remains a remarkable day in the history of GMM Africa, Cameroon. We are a non profit registered organization providing tools and aid to disadvantaged people and communities for a sustainable livelihood. This year the Xmas party, organized in honour of the orphans and needy children we sponsor, surpassed that which we have held in previous years.

New things arrived, in particular, a fleet of bicycles bought by our sponsor and partner Gabey in Holland. The children can now cycle at will. The bicycles will also help ferry them to school and back home. This helps lessen the stress that comes with trekking to and from school.

Paul and the team at Catalyst Exhibits, a design company in USA, has been helping in this area too. They provided motorbikes that not only carried teachers to school but helped in transporting the orphan children to hospital every month.

Read more and see some more photos after the jump.

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Life is tough for many children in Cameroon and it is only made easier by the hard work of charity groups and educators like GMM Africa and the sponsorship and donations they receive from external sources. One of the group’s key programs is sponsoring children for a year in GMM Africa’s education program, designed to take underprivileged and at-risk children and teens off the streets and give them an education and, a future. Mildred [pictured] is one of the lucky ones.

Catalyst Exhibits has been helping out GMM Africa for a number of years and its CEO, Paul Stahlberg, is continuing his sponsorship in 2012 of Mildred, one of the kids in the GMM Africa education program. Some new photos of Mildred were just sent over by Rev Teh Francis.

Read ‘Catalyst Sponsors Mildred In Cameroon’.

We here at Area 3 [the charity blog for Catalyst Exhibits] are delighted that Mildred’s life has been changed for the better and that we will be involved in helping her, and other worthy causes, throughout 2012.

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It’s been a very busy year in Cameroon  for GMM  Africa and all the kids who have benefitted from their education and job placement activities.

With Christmas coming the group is in the midst of organising the annual party for the kids and their families, many who have little or nothing, outside of the school.

Reverend Teh Francis has been in touch this week to let us know what is planned.

“Thank you for all the help you’ve rendered to help make life easier for orphaned and needy children in this part of the globe. It has been really amazing to see the difference you’ve made in the lives of these children in the area of education, health and nutrition. It is very much appreciated by us at GMM Africa. You are all wonderful people.

This year we are organizing another Xmas party for the orphan and needy children at GMM. For the party, we buy stuff and share it with the children and their families. Stuff like clothes, shoes, toys, bicycles, books etc. We also provide a meal and give soap to the families. It is all a fellowship meal. We love these children and we love you who are helping them.

Send your greetings to these children at the party. You can also send a gift or a donation to make the day great. If interested, we can give you details.

Once again thank you. There are still children pending on the child sponsorship page. You can forward it to any of your friends who may wish to sponsor a child. See www.gmmafricachild.org and www.commit2africa.org.”

Rev. Teh Francis

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A lot goes into establishing and running a great – and highly successful – after-school reading program for children with reading difficulties.

Debbie Valette, our ‘wunder-teacher’ in Boulder, Colorado, has done a great job with her unique after-school program, which we here at Catalyst Exhibits, try our best to keep helping out with funds, books or promotional material.

From previous stories on the Area 3 blog, you can see how invaluable her reading class has become to the kids and their grades. See

Struggling Readers Leapfrog Grades

Teaching Kids To Read In A New Way

Now it’s time to start thinking ahead for the coming year, so she’s given us an insight into what the program’s goals are and what they need to achieve those goals.

Debbie wrote: “As for plans for this year, see below…

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One of the best volunteers working with GMMAfrica – Dee Ryan – headed home to Ireland last month and we’ve just had some photos of Dee from her leaving party.

Dee – she’s the most colorfully dressed one in the middle – has been there a year and although she will be coming back to check in with the education charity, she will be sorely missed. Rev Teh Francis sent some shots and this message:

“Greetings from this end. Things are pretty going on fine with GMM, Cameroon. We continue to thank you for all the support we have received from you. I just wanted to share with you some photos of a send off party of our Irish volunteer, Dee. She has been here one whole year working on the child sponsorship program and other issues still involving the organization. She has proven just one of the best we ever had. We are so satisfied with her work. We weep to see her go. She left earlier this month and will be coming back often. We forgot to share with you some photos of a send off party we had for her. Thank you again for all your concern. You can check the children still needing sponsors here.”

Goodbye for now to Dee but Rev Francis is on the lookout for other volunteers hoping to make a difference, and to take time out to go to Cameroon and see first-hand the great work being done educating children to help break them out of the poverty trap and give them a better future.

Contact him at: revteh@gmmafrica.org. More shots below

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